Chapter 16

16

Jane walkedout of Madame Dubois’s shop, fresh air chilling her heated cheeks.

“Do not fret, love,” said Ruby as she squeezed Jane’s hand. “You do not deserve to be treated like that. And I can try to make something like what they have…”

Breathing hard, Jane looked at dear Ruby and pressed out a smile.

“You’re too good to me, Ruby,” she said. “Thank you. But I never should have gone in. I should have stayed in Whitechapel.”

She looked around, blinking burning tears away. “Let’s not wait for Lord Richard. We’ll just hire a hackney and leave.”

“If that is what you want, love,” murmured Ruby.

As before, passersby walked and chatted cheerfully, completely unaware she was wishing the ground would collapse beneath her and suck her into a deep abyss, away from the humiliation that burned her alive. There was nothing her poor housekeeper could do.

“Let us take one of these,” said Jane when she saw three hackneys parked about ten feet down Bond Street. She marched there, ready to cross the busy road with carriages riding up and down.

The other side of the street was even more packed with people walking and browsing in colorful shops. Carriages stopped here and there to let richly dressed ladies and gentlemen out, then parked, waiting for them to come back.

Everything was colorful and tidy, the three-story buildings pristine. The scent of horse manure, exotic perfume, and baked goods overwhelmed her. The clomping hooves of dozens of horses, the rattle of heavy carriage wheels, the chatter of people talking and laughing, and the dinging bells over the doors of the shops were a cacophony around her.

She was so plain, so strange, so completely opposite of this world of glittering jewels, silky dresses, elegant postures, gossip, and witty social banter. So disinterested in social status and reputation.

And this world knew that and rejected her.

Jane had stepped into the road, ready to maneuver between the carriages coming at her from both directions when, to her left, the door of the snuff box shop opened, and Richard stepped out. He saw her right away, his handsome eyes sparkling with delight at first, then a frown crossed his face.

She turned to cross the street, but three carriages were passing by just then, and she had no way of escape. In those few moments, Richard reached her and Ruby.

Leaning down, he said quietly, “Are you all right, Jane? Why did you come out so soon? I thought I’d have at least an hour or so to kill waiting for you.”

She squared her shoulders. No point in falling apart before him, before dozens of fashionable ladies and gentlemen strolling Bond Street.

“No,” she said. “I’m afraid I can’t go to the soirée. Let us keep at our search tonight so that we may soon be done with this charade.”

Traitorous tears burned the backs of her eyes. She wouldn’t make a scene right here. She wouldn’t. She sniffled, blinking fiercely through the blurring tears, commanding herself to get herself together by any means necessary.

“Jane, you’re distressed,” Richard said and gently took her by the elbow, leading her away from the road.

Ruby hurried after them. “My lord!” she cried.

“Please, Ruby, give us a moment,” he said.

He led Jane into a small alleyway between two shops where she’d be somewhat secluded from the peering eyes of onlookers and gossipers. Ruby stood a few steps away, throwing worried glances at them. He went into his inner pocket and handed her his handkerchief, and she turned around and wiped her wet eyes.

“Why are you so distressed?” he probed gently.

“The modiste…” she said. “Madame Dubois…she refused me. She might as well have told me I’m not good enough to order dresses at her establishment. I do not belong here and shouldn’t be here. And I cannot go to a soirée without a dress.”

As the words left her lips, a sensation of relief spread through her body. Richard’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the small boutique, his fists clenched tightly.

“She did not dare…” he growled. “Right. Come with me. We’ll see about that.”

He gestured with his hand for her to walk before him and straightened his coat.

“Richard, please,” Jane stammered, but he didn’t put his arm down, looking at her with a firm gentleness that did not permit argument, and Jane nodded.

Ruby watched them, her brows furrowed in worry that was quickly replaced with a spark of hope as she recognized the determined set of Lord Richard’s jaw. Jane walked and, without a word, Richard led them along the busy sidewalk, skillfully maneuvering through the bustling crowd. His commanding presence and the imposing cut of his suit cleared a path before them, as if Bond Street itself bowed to his will.

He held open the door to Madame Dubois’s shop and waited for Jane and Ruby to enter before following them. All eyes turned to Richard as he walked up to Madame Dubois.

“Madame,” he began in a voice that echoed through the room, drawing everyone’s gazes. “It has come to my attention that you refused service to Miss Grant. Is this correct?”

Madame Dubois blanched and looked around the room as though for help, her eyes falling on Lady Fairchild, who watched the scene unfold with a calculating gaze.

“But, my lord,” Madame Dubois stammered, “we did not know Miss Grant was in your…that is, we did not have the proper materials for what she desired.”

Richard’s gaze was unyielding. “I believe it is not up to you to decide what is appropriate for Miss Grant. If she desires a dress from your establishment, you will provide it. If you need the necessary materials, you will procure them.”

Jane could only clutch Ruby’s hand as she watched Richard stand up for her, taking on an entire room of high society ladies.

The room fell into a stunned silence again. Madame Dubois gulped, her eyes darting between Lord Richard and Jane. Richard stood tall and firm, his gaze never wavering.

“Of course, my lord,” Madame Dubois managed, a forced smile on her face. “We would be honored to create a dress for Miss Grant.”

Richard gave a nod of approval before addressing Madame Dubois one final time. “I ought to mention that my grandmama, the Dowager Duchess of Grandhampton, having been your client for many years, recommended your establishment to my fiancée.”

Madame Dubois went even paler at this revelation, her eyes wide and lips pressed thin. Richard continued, a steely edge to his voice. “I’m afraid certain mistakes cannot be rectified. You offended the future sister-in-law of the twelfth Duke of Grandhampton. It is my duty to inform Grandmama about this unfortunate incident. Perhaps she should consider revising her choice of modiste.”

The implications of his words hung heavily in the air, and a murmur rippled through the room. This was no minor threat. The Dowager Duchess of Grandhampton was known for her influence and classic elegance, and losing her patronage would certainly tarnish the reputation of the establishment.

“Your fiancée, Lord Richard?” asked Lady Fairchild meekly. “But I had hoped to introduce you to one of my daughters…” She gestured at the two beautiful ladies by her side.

The three ladies looked at Jane with varying degrees of animosity, and Richard’s expression turned cold. “I’ll be pleased to meet your daughters, Lady Fairchild. As I hope they will be pleased to meet my betrothed, Miss Jane Grant.”

Something warm and wonderful exploded through Jane’s chest at the sight of Lady Fairchild opening and closing her mouth.

“No, no, my lord!” Madame Dubois stammered as she hurried through the room to stand by his side. “I do beg your pardon for any inconvenience caused to Miss Grant. It was never my intention to upset her. I assure you, it was a misunderstanding, nothing more.”

Turning to Jane, Madame Dubois forced a courteous smile. “Miss Grant, I hope you’ll allow us the opportunity to rectify our mistake.”

Jane blinked. Richard looked at her, his eyes warm and proud. It was her choice what she wanted to do. She could stay and have the best gown made tonight. But the thought of undressing under the watchful eyes of these women was too much to bear.

She took a deep breath and addressed Madame Dubois: “Thank you for your offer, but I must decline. I’m afraid to bring more vermin to your beautiful shop.”

In the deadly silence that fell over the room, a quiet snicker escaped Ruby’s lips.

Richard opened the door for Jane and gave a nod to Madame Dubois. “I think we’ve taken up quite enough of your valuable time, madame.”

With one last nod to the room, Richard led Jane and Ruby back out onto Bond Street. As the door clicked shut, Jane’s eyes welled with tears of relief, and she offered Richard a warm smile of appreciation. He had defended her in front of the modiste and the high society ladies without hesitation. The world of glittering jewels and witty social banter might have seemed to reject her, but Richard had stood by her side, confirming that she was indeed a part of it.

As they walked away from the boutique, Jane looked up at Richard. The firmness in his jaw remained, a sign of his lingering anger over her ill treatment. And yet, his eyes, when they met hers, were soft and full of concern. It filled Jane with a wonderful, bubbling warmth.

“You know what, love,” Richard said, “you should come to the soirée tonight. Don’t let that woman ruin all the fun for you. Besides…”

He looked around and, seeing that Ruby was a few steps away and there was no one else in earshot, reached into the pocket of his waistcoat, retrieving a paper.

“I don’t think I should keep this from you,” he said.

With trembling hands, Jane took the paper. When she unfolded it, she recognized the uneven, childlike script. She had taught the man who’d written it to write. The duke is taught a lesson at your request. A complication occurred. More later. Reuben.

She looked up into Richard’s eyes. “It’s Reuben…” she whispered. “Not Atticus.”

Not only had he protected her at Madame Dubois’s, proving he was a good man, just as she had thought, but he’d now shown her the note.

“Will you do something with this against my brother?” she asked.

He shook his head as he gently took the note from her fingers and hid it in his pocket again. “I don’t want to and am not planning to at the moment, Jane. But I can’t promise you I never will. It will depend on what happened to my brother. Therefore, we must find Reuben and hear what he has to say.”

Jane nodded. Even though he hadn’t promised he wouldn’t hurt Thorne, a fragile sense of trust returned, and she knew she forgave him in her heart.

“We will find Reuben tomorrow after school,” she said, “and talk with him in private. He has always looked out for me.”

“I will pick you up then. But for now, I have another idea about your dress and tonight’s soirée. Please come with me.”